The Westfield Health British Transplant Games 2024 took place from Thursday 1 – Sunday 4 August in Nottingham. We’ve proudly supported the Games for over a decade. The four-day event attracts around 1000 transplant athletes and more than 1700 supporters. The Games are far more than a sporting event, they are a celebration of resilience, hope, and the incredible gift of life.
We hit record numbers this year! We were joined by 300 volunteers, 973 competitors, 1,417 supporters and 176 live donors with over 2,000 medals given out.
Through our partnership, many Westfield Health employees volunteer for the British Transplant Games. A group of Westfield Health employees joined the volunteers to show support for the Games, cheer on the inspiring athletes and meet the donor families involved in the event. Vicky Walker, Group Director of People at Westfield Health, said:
It makes me feel very humble and it makes me feel very proud to be able to say that we’re an organisation that supports these Games. Volunteering is so important. It gives people a sense of purpose and another sense of belonging, of being able to give back.
Watch our video for highlights of the 2024 event:
Day one
The event kicked off with the athlete’s parade, seeing all the competing athletes walk to Nottingham Castle in a powerful show of unity with their teams.
Our Chair, Steve Purdham, gave an opening speech: “To all of our athletes, you are the living proof that life after transplant is not just possible, but extraordinary. You’ve overcome unimaginable challenges and now you shine as beacons of hope and resilience. Your stories are inspirational to all of us and now we all believe in the power of second chances.”
We saw the beginning sporting events take place, including golf, archery, snooker, squash, volleyball, table tennis and basketball. We spoke to Lucy, who came to compete in her sixth Games after receiving dialysis that same morning: “I was inspired to take part by being around like people similar to me, knowing that they’ve been through similar stuff. Just opening up about who I am and where I am today. I competed in table tennis earlier today and it’s actually my first gold medal.”
Day two
By day two we were in full swing with our first full day of activities! Friday began with golf at 8am, leading through to table tennis, the live donor obstacle relay and cycling.
By the afternoon we cheered on the long jump, sport stacking and ball throw. After an evening break, the Games rounded off activities with darts and hosted children’s and adult social events for everyone to unwind, share stories and connect. It’s amazing to see how these interactions have inspired attendees.
Hope Zelly, Westfield Health Community Ambassador, shares: “It’s never something that I’d thought about but since I’ve been coming here I’ve spoken to my family and registered on the organ donor register and encouraged my family to have the conversation.”
Day three
We passed the halfway point! The excitement was continued with a jam-packed schedule for day three. The day began with adult and live donor badminton events into the swimming events.
The littlest athletes competed in a range of under-five events including long jump, sport stacking and their own archery. The day was rounded off by the road race and donor run, showing many donor families, recipients and supporters all running side by side.
Day four
On the last day of the weekend at the British Transplant Games things began with the much-anticipated donor track and field events, showcasing the incredible strength and spirit of our athletes.
The closing party celebrated the remarkable achievements of everyone involved showing a powerful community spirit. A huge congratulations to the athletes, volunteers, and supporters who were a part of the inspiring event.
Dave Capper, CEO of Westfield Health, attended the 2024 Games:
“I’ve been attending the Westfield Health British Transplant Games now since 2009. Our partnership with the British Transplant Games is really special because we share a very similar purpose to improve quality of life and make a real difference. Every time I come to the Games, I cannot help but be totally inspired not just by the donor families and the recipients of transplants. It’s everybody coming together just to celebrate the gift of life.”
Oxford 2025
For next year’s Games we’ll be heading south to the city of Oxford! Find out more information at www.britishtransplantgames.co.uk.